Remember their sacrifice!

by New Worker correspondent

In Russia the 22nd June is the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow. On that day in 1941 Nazi Germany and its allies launched a treacherous attack on the Soviet Union. This marked the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, one of the most tragic chapters in our history. It claimed the lives of 27 million Soviet citizens and left millions more wounded, bereaved and scarred by its devastation.

On that day Vasili Tsyganov, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in London, laid flowers at the Soviet War Memorial in the gardens by the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth.
Unveiled in 1999, the monument stands as a symbol of the British respect for the heroism and self-sacrifice of the Soviet citizens and soldiers who lost their lives during the Second World War in the struggle against Nazism. It serves as a reminder of the price of victory and the enduring importance of preserving historical memory.

The ‘last bell’ for Russian pupils

by New Worker correspondent

The last call rings for all Russian school-leavers on May 24th and 25th. Millions of school-kids in the Russian Federation and amongst the Russian ex-pat community abroad took part in ‘Last Bell’ celebrations. And London was no exception. 
Final year pupils say goodbye to classmates and teachers in May at a ceremony that usually includes speeches by the head-teacher and guests, parents, first-graders and the last words from those from the final years.
Traditionally, the last bell is carried by a leaver and rung by a first-former. And it tolled  for pupils at the general school under the Embassy of Russia in the heart of London last weekend.
Traditionally, the event opens with the anthem of the Russian Federation. Russian diplomat Vasili Tsyganov  then addressed the pupils, their families and teachers congratulating the school-leavers as they embark on a new stage in their lives and wishing them confidence in their strengths, success in their exams and achievement of their intended goals. And finally the day ended with creative performances and dances by the students and their parents.